


Juno Steel Deserves Nice Things

by rexlover180



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Gen, M/M, Other, exploring my very own, let juno steel have nice things, my submissions for the Juno Steel Fluff Week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 12:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15170777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rexlover180/pseuds/rexlover180
Summary: My collection of submissions for Juno Steel Fluff Week 2018. I've been playing with a Hogwarts AU for a while now, so here's my hard work.In which Juno Steel is a Slytherin at Hogwarts, he makes a few friends along the way as well as his own detective agency, and come his 6th year, he meets a very interesting person who apparently can't decide which house he's in or what his name is.Each story is independent and scattered throughout Juno's years at Hogwarts and each chapter follows one of the prompts from Juno Steel Fluff Week.





	1. Date Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first prompt for Juno Steel Fluff Week; Date Night. We're starting off in Juno's sixth year, after he's already met our boi Peter and they getting their flirt on. Very, very small bit of underlying plot hiding here. Have fun ;)

“Juno, dear.”

“Excuse me?”

A student plopped down beside Juno at the table. At least, he masqueraded as a student. Today, he was wearing a Slytherin uniform, meaning his name for the time being was Rex Glass. Juno looked around at everyone else in the dining hall, but as usual no one thought anything Rex was doing was anything odd.  It had been months, yet Juno still couldn’t figure out how Rex did it.

“I have a proposition for you,” Rex said, leaning casually against the table and staring at Juno. He drummed his fingers on the table with that damn smirk on his face. Juno wanted to punch it off, but he’d done it once before and he really didn’t want to get into trouble with Professor Slughorn again.

Juno sighed heavily. “What?”

“No need to look so down,” Rex said. “I’m just here to ask you on a date.”

“A date?” Juno asked bluntly.

“Don’t sound too surprised,” Rex said. “Now, I was thinking something along the lines of a picnic. However, and I mean no offense by this, but you don’t seem like the kind of lady to enjoy that kind of thing.”

“You’re right,” Juno said. “I don’t go on dates with liars.”

“Are you still going on about that?” Rex scoffed.

“Considering I just had class with you and your name there happened to be Duke Rose?” Juno scoffed. “Yes, I am.”

Rex just stared at him in interest, the smallest of smiles playing on his lips. There was something so exceedingly suspicious about him and Juno wanted to place it so bad, yet he couldn’t.

“That’s exactly why I would love to spend more time with you, Juno,” Rex offered. “What would be your ideal for a date, then?”

Juno leaned forward. “Right now? All I can think about is taking you into a secluded room-“

“Why, Juno.”

“-and punching your real damn name out of you.”

“Rex Glass is my real name,” Rex said easily. Juno glared at him. “You’ve seen me in the Slytherin common room, haven’t you?”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Juno scoffed. “All you need is to harass someone who knows the password and you can get in. Same thing with Gryffindor. _I’ve_ done that.”

“Why, Juno, breaking the rules?” Rex teased. “I should report you.”

“I’d settle for you just leaving me alone,” Juno said. He was doing just fine enjoying a meal on his own, and Rex had to just come in and ruin it. He rarely got time alone these days.

“And I would settle for you agreeing to go with me on just one date,” Rex offered. He stretched languidly, like a cat, and took up a pastry in his hand. It was such a smooth movement, it was like he barely even moved in the first place.

“Nope,” Juno said. He sighed, deciding it was better to leave his food and just go back to the dorm to get some work done, either on his homework or another case someone had given him. Sadly, Rex stuck to his side. “Will you just leave me alone?”

“I just think you need a little help relaxing,” Rex offered, easily ducking around other students, who Juno just bumped into without a care. “I’m offering some reprieve from your stressful life. We do have Potions together, don’t we? I know how hard our assignments have been lately.”

“And are you forgetting that we also have Defense Against the Dark Arts together?” Juno asked. “Oh, no, wait. That’s Duke Rose, the Hufflepuff.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rex said. “However, that doesn’t stop the fact that I’ve noticed you are stressed. And there is absolutely an undeniable attraction between us.”

“A _what_?” Juno demanded, twirling around to glare at Rex. They were just outside the doorway of the dining hall, thankfully, so they weren’t causing a scene.

“Come, now, Juno,” Rex smiled that vulpine grin of his. “You are a very attractive lady and I happen to know a few people that might have told me you think the same way about me.”

“Who…wait, nevermind,” Juno scoffed. He knew Rita would do something when she made him smell that damn Amortentia she made last week. It wasn’t his fault it smelled suspiciously similar to Rex’s cologne. “My answer’s still no.”

“How about I help you with a job?” Rex asked, easily cutting off Juno from an escape. “I heard you have more than you know what to do with right now? I can help you.”

“Why do you care so much about this?” Juno asked. “Don’t you have better things to do? Other people to harass? Why don’t you go off as Perseus the Ravenclaw and have fun solving the latest riddle at their house?”

Rex laughed. “I’ve always loved that sense of humor in you. But I would much rather spend my time with you. I’ll tell you what, detective. Something about me has been bothering you. Spend the night with me, just a few hours even, and I will answer one question you have for me. Anything you have. I will only bar one question, but you’ll have to ask it before I can tell you I can’t answer it.”

Juno hesitated. Any question? Just one, though. Then again, it was just a few hours…and Rex honestly wasn’t that bad to look at. Plus, he was smart. The classes he did share with the other student did show that he was very clever in all subjects, like he knew more than anyone else in the room. Having him along might help Juno finish off a case really quickly. And if Rex wanted to consider that a date…who was he to stop him?

“Any question?” Juno asked.

“Except one,” Rex said with a nod. “But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, eh?”

“Fine,” Juno grumbled. “Meet me outside the Slytherin common room an hour after curfew. How good are you at sneaking around the castle?”

Rex beamed at him and Juno figured he’d asked an obvious question. “A moonlit walk around the castle? Fantastic idea, Juno, I look forward to it.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get a big head about it,” Juno scoffed. “Just meet me and we’ll get a move on.”

* * *

Juno was not at all surprised when Rex didn’t come out of the Slytherin common room. In fact, he came down the hallway. Dressed in Ravenclaw robes.

“Wonderful to see you made it on time, Juno,” Perseus Shaw nodded to him, well-poised and proper, just a touch different from his Slytherin persona. Juno had been stewing for hours on what question he would ask him after this was all over. Hell, he barely even focused on his own homework he was so busy thinking about it.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Juno scoffed. “Why’d you decide to show up as Shaw this time?”

“Hm?” Perseus asked, tilting his head. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, detective, but as far as I recall, we have a case to do together, right?”

“Right.” Juno nodded. He’d almost forgotten what Shaw was like, since Juno normally wasn’t around him. Shaw was…eccentric. Much more so than any of the other personas this boy liked to don. He could go on a monologue for an hour without noticing and pretended he was the smartest damn person just for stating the obvious.

Juno rummaged in the sack he’d brought with him. “Keep an eye out for any professors or prefects, would you?” Juno asked as he dug. It certainly wouldn’t do to land them both in detention at the same time.

“Well, I don’t intend to get caught,” Shaw chimed, and he didn’t even turn around to check. Cocky bastard.

“Well, this job should be easy enough,” Juno said. “Someone thinks a Hufflepuff stole their Remembrall. I want to check around classrooms and offices before we just break into Hufflepuff’s dorm, but there’s a chance it might be there.”

“Which Hufflepuff would have stolen it?” Shaw asked.

“Does it matter?” Juno asked. “It’s a job. Earning a few sickles matters more to me than figuring out who did it and why.”

“Well, what kind of detective does that make you?” Shaw asked.

“If the job entailed figuring out the who and why, they would have asked for it,” Juno said. “Besides, it was from a Slytherin, so who knows how trustworthy this information is anyway.”

“Well, then, I’ll have you lead the way,” Shaw said, motioning widely to the hallway.

“You know,” Juno said, finally pulling out his wand from the bag as he moved forward, “I think I prefer it when you’re Rex more than anything else.”

“Who?” Shaw asked and Juno rolled his eyes.

“Just…stay close,” Juno said. They moved quickly through the hallways. Paintings were long asleep by now, dozing in the darkness. Their biggest problems would be Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Peeves. Juno knew where Peeves normally liked to haunt at this time of night, so as long as he avoided certain hallways, they should be fine. Filch, sadly, liked to be unpredictable to catch students off guard.

Thankfully, Shaw stayed dutifully quiet and stuck close to him as they snuck. Finally, they reached the first professor’s classroom and Juno knelt down, pulling out his wand.

“Oh, no, allow me,” Shaw said quietly, walking forward. He flicked his wand and whispered a spell Juno didn’t hear. Juno heard the lock undo immediately and Juno blinked. Normally professors were very strict about the spells they put in place to keep students out.

“What did you just-”

“Quickly now, Juno,” Shaw said, motioning him inside as the door opened. Juno stepped in, just to make sure they didn’t get caught. He closed the door.

“Quietus,” Juno casted once they were alone. “Muffliato.”

“Careful, aren’t you?” Shaw asked with a smirk. Juno rolled his eyes.

“Just wanna make sure we don’t get caught,” Juno pressed. “Now, let’s start looking.”

“Of course,” Shaw said, immediately going to a bookcase. “What makes you think a professor took it?”

“I think this person might have just left it in a classroom and wants to blame another student for it,” Juno said.

“How rude,” Shaw scoffed. “Are we even sure they lost it in the first place?”

“If they didn’t, then they owe me money for my wasted time,” Juno said. “Either way, I get paid.”

“And, either way, I got to spend time with you,” Shaw said with that damn happy smirk on his face.

“Right,” Juno scoffed, rummaging through the professor’s desk. Since the locks were normally so good, they didn’t have a lot of spells on the stuff inside their offices. He was careful of any charms, though, looking through what he could. Most professors kept a small lost and found, as well as a confiscated items box. They just kept them in different places.

“Tell me, do some people hire you to find test answers?” Shaw asked.

“Some have tried,” Juno said. “I don’t think cheating’s worth it. If someone came to me with enough money, maybe I’d consider it. At that point, they should just spend their time studying, though. Plenty of spells to help with that.”

“Yes, but, I can imagine someone with skills like yours…” Shaw drawled out. “You must be popular with all kinds of tasks.”

“Just a lot of cheating cases,” Juno said. “Girls trying to see if their partner’s cheating on them. Claims that people cheated in quidditch. The usual.”

“A thriving business, and all at 16,” Shaw mused. “Does it tire you out? It must, I think. I see those deep bags under your eyes.”

“That’s just because I can’t sleep,” Juno said. He moved to the other side of the room. Shaw wasn’t actually looking at anything. Rather, he was sticking close to Juno’s side and staring at him intently. It was…creepy? Endearing? Juno was still trying to figure that out.

“Why not?” Shaw asked. “Better yet, would you like some help with that?”

“And how do you intend to do that all the way from the Ravenclaw common room?” Juno asked.

Shaw laughed. “I have my ways.”

Juno frowned. Shaw was acting…distinctively less like Shaw than he normally was. In fact, he was acting a bit more like…

“Are you…acting like Rex because I said I liked him better?” Juno asked, pausing as he worked.

Shaw raised a brow. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Sure,” Juno said. “If you did do that, that would be ridiculous and kind of embarrassing, don’t you think?”

Shaw frowned. “I don’t follow. It’s hard enough with you creating all these fake personas of me.”

“We are not getting into this now,” Juno said, shaking his head.

“Besides,” Shaw leaned closer to him, definitely in his personal space. Juno could smell the cologne from here, which was more than a little distracting. Shaw smirked, like he knew exactly what he was doing to Juno. You share one damn kiss with a guy (technically, Juno kissed Duke Rose) and he thinks he can get into your space. “I think that if you really wanted to come out here with someone specifically, you would have told me.”

“Are you telling me to request your personas now?” Juno asked.

“Depends,” Shaw said. “I had no idea you played favorites. Not that I know what you’re talking about or who you’re talking about…but I find it very interesting that you favor Rex.”

“And why is that, Mr. Detective?” Juno asked, cocking his head to the side. He was supposed to be working, he knew that. But maybe spending a little time talking with Shaw or Rex or…whoever the hell he was wasn’t that bad at all.

“Well,” Shaw mused, leaning even closer, “I have to admit that I’ve noticed this Rex Glass is a bit more forward, meaning you prefer it when someone makes the first move so you don’t have to. Rex is also much more ambitious, he’s curious, thought a bit more understated than I am. You like to have a partner, someone to talk to, bounce ideas off of, but you don’t want an equal. You want someone to challenge you, but you want to come up on top. After a good fight. Rex gives you great banter, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t know, does he?” Juno asked.

“You also seem to like Duke,” Shaw mused. “You like the attention he gives you, like you’re the only person worth talking to in the world. And believe me, he would love to lavish you with gifts if he could. And I think you would like that.”

“Would I?” Juno asked.

Shaw chuckled. “Oh, you would.” He dramatically stepped to the side and behind Juno. “Just imagine, an impeccable jewel necklace, shining in the starlight.” He placed his hands around Juno’s neck, like he was draping the damn thing over his neck. “You…Duke, walking into a ball and all eyes immediately turn to you. He’s gotten you a dazzling, floor length dress.” Shaw draped his arms over Juno’s shoulders. “And heels that look damn near impossible, but you’re so used to the most extravagant heels that these are nothing to you. The both of you elegantly walk down the stairs,” he steps forward, walking Juno with him. Juno could almost picture this damn event, too, “and you see envy on everyone’s eyes. You are the biggest prize, more beautiful than any piece of jewelry or clothing.”

“Yeah?” Juno asked, humoring him. “And you think I would enjoy it?”

“Oh, yes,” Shaw, or maybe Duke, stepped in front of him quickly, taking one of Juno’s hands in his and pulling Juno close with a hand on his hip, he started him to a dance that Juno couldn’t hear. Yet. “You would dance with him in the middle of the ballroom. There would be lights cast in the air, changing colors. You would see the color changes on his face and be struck by the awe of what you see. His face is stunning, and his eyes are soft, like he’s absolutely stunned by you, despite how many times he’s seen you. You’re the star of the show, and center of attention, but Duke wouldn’t dare let others steal you away. He’d never let you feel overwhelmed, but always feel like the star you ought to be.”

Juno couldn’t stop the small smile that was worming onto his face. He might enjoy the thought of that.

“And what about Perseus Shaw?” Juno asked. “What would he do?”

Shaw chuckled, slowing them to a stop in the room and Juno had to blink once he finally remembered where they truly were.

“Shaw loves a challenge,” he spoke, musing as he looked up at the ceiling. “He would love to take you on an adventure, one he’s not even sure how it will end, but he has a few guesses. It would be a test, to see who could outsmart the other, perhaps. We’d go off together and find some long-lost secret. See which one of us could figure it out first.”

“Interesting,” Juno said. “And who would win?”

Perseus smiled. “Well, obviously I think I would win. That’s the fun of the game. Neither of us really know who will win.”

“You think you could do better than me?” Juno asked.

“Don’t insult my detecting skills,” Perseus said. “I can be quite clever in my own right. For example, I’m almost certain a Hufflepuff didn’t take the Remembrall. And I think I know which professor has it.”

“Yeah?” Juno asked.

“Flitwick,” Perseus chimed. “He’s the most likely to find something, keep it himself and constantly forget to tell his students he has it. Other professors would remember to announce to students that they had it. Flitwick is so busy and his office is so stuffed, he probably forgot he had it completely. Ironic, but likely true.”

“Fair,” Juno said. “How much are you willing to bet it’s there?”

Perseus hummed. “If it's not there, you’ll get two questions at the end of the night.”

Juno raised a brow at that. Shaw knew how to gamble, that was clear, but he didn’t look worried at all.

“And what are you prepared to wager? If it isn’t there?” Shaw asked.

Juno stared at him for a while before responding. “I’ll stop talking to people about your various identities.”

“I guess that will work, though I was hoping for something more exciting. Shall we, then? I’ll relock the door on our way out.”

“Fine,” Juno said, stepping forward. He hesitated for a moment, almost unwilling to leave the space of fantasy Shaw so easily created. He shook his head as he slowly opened the door and peeked out to the hallway. No one was there. Good.

The two of them made it through the hallways without a peep and without encountering anyone along the way. It was easy. Too easy. But Juno wasn’t about to turn down an easy job. Shaw made quick work of Flitwick’s lock as well, and soon they were in the crowded and cramped office of another professor. Juno put up the right charms to keep them from being heard.

“Alright, detective,” Juno said, crossing his arms. “You’re so sure about this, you find it.”

“I’d be happy to,” Shaw said, stepping forward. He cleared his throat. “Now, if I were to know where the professor put this Remembrall, I would have to first _think_ like him. Please, give me a moment.”

Juno rolled his eyes, but stayed where he was, watching. Shaw was extravagant, yes, but it was entertaining to watch sometimes. He was theatrical, but very witty when he wanted to be.

Finally, Shaw opened his eyes, excitement clear on his face.

“I’ve got it!” he said excitedly. He walked over to the door before turning on his heel, holding out his hand as if he were holding an object. “Now, he must have found it between classes, so he had to be in a rush. He figured he would just set it down and find it later. So he would go to…the desk.” Shaw quickly walked over to the desk, looking over it. “And when he put it down, he would have thought he might forget where it was, so he’d likely make a charm, being an expert in charms and all. But then…a student might have knocked on the door.” He excitedly went over the door again. Juno fought back a laughing snort. “Distracted, he let the spell fade, and the Remembrall was already forgotten! He helped the student, which could have caused a ruckus, meaning this precarious stack of papers must have fallen!” He all but skipped over to a stack of papers about as tall as himself. “Naturally, Flitwick would have righted such an error with a quick charm of his own, but in the process, since the papers fell on his desk, he whisked away the Remembrall to a cleaner place.”

“Yes, this makes absolute sense, go on,” Juno supplied when Shaw paused.

Perseus nodded resolutely, walking over to cabinets along the wall.

“Now,” Shaw said. “My guess is that the object would have flung itself into one of these cabinets for safe-keeping, unbeknownst to our dear professor. Being the detective that I am, I will do the honor of searching them myself.”

“Be my guest,” Juno said, staying put. He was almost certain Perseus wouldn’t find anything. He was so pompous and excited, Juno was so ready to see him disappointed.

Shaw yanked open the cabinets with a flourish, the things practically bursting full of various knick-knacks. Shaw wasn’t perturbed, however, going for a specific area on the shelf, like he expected the Remembrall to be there. Sure enough, as he stepped back, he had a ball in his hands, a white smoke filling the container as he looked closer at it.

There was no way…

Juno walked forward. “Hold on a second, where did you find that?”

“Are you upset that I’m better at your job than you are?” Shaw asked proudly, holding out the ball for Juno to take. Juno looked the student up and down, not finding anything very suspicious, before he snatched the ball from his hand. It was still filled with a white smoke. That was good, at least.

“No, I just don’t think your story holds up,” Juno grumbled. “You must have had it on you…Was it Duke that stole this? It would add up, seeing as he is a Hufflepuff.”

“Well, I’m not sure what he’s up to,” Shaw mused. “But, as you can see, I didn’t really dress for the occasion of lugging something that big with me.” He was right. He wasn’t wearing robes, and he wasn’t wearing the usual trousers which were a part of the Hogwarts uniform. In fact, it didn’t look like his outfit had pockets at all. He couldn’t have had the ball on him at all.

“It couldn’t have just been there,” Juno pressed.

Shaw tilted his head, hands behind his back now. “I don’t see how you think so. Don’t you trust me?”

“Not at all, no,” Juno supplied.

Shaw laughed, a lilting thing. “Of course you don’t. Well, I don’t know what else to tell you, seeing as we have found the Remembrall, here, in this office, and it looks like your job is complete.”

“I guess,” Juno muttered. “How do we know this is his?”

“Does that matter?” Shaw asked. “It’s not Flitwick’s, he’s the kind of person that would mark it as his own. As long as this kid gets back a Remembrall, he should be satisfied, and we can go on with our night.”

“And, what about this night do you want to continue?” Juno asked.

“I was having fun,” Shaw said, leaning closer to Juno. “It seems that you’re having a good time, considering that adorable smile I keep seeing on your lips. And I happen to have the ability to unlock all the doors in the castle that I want to. We could have any room to ourselves, though I have to say, the Prefect’s bathroom is high on my list of favored locations.”

“You’re pretty confident in yourself, aren’t you?” Juno asked.

“I’m confident when I can be, yes,” Shaw said.

Juno looked at the Remembrall before shoving it into his pocket. The night had flashed by, and he wasn’t sure he really did want to just go back to his dorm and go to sleep. And…Shaw was right there. Excited. It wouldn’t kill Juno to keep pressing the envelope a little more, now would it?

“My question,” Juno offered. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say that I can’t ask you what your real name is.”

“Perfectly spot on, detective,” Shaw said. He wrapped his arms around Juno’s neck playfully and Juno rolled his eyes, looking up at him.

“So I’ll try something else,” Juno said. “Why does no one else realize what you’re doing? There are four versions of you running around and no one sees a damn thing. How do you do it?”

Shaw hummed for a while, swaying to an invisible beat as he looked down at Juno. “Clever, clever girl,” Shaw hummed. “Well, I did promise you…It’s something I’ve worked very hard on myself; a twist on an obliviate spell.”

“Obliviate?” Juno asked, suspicious.

“You only get one question, Juno,” Shaw smirked. “I’ve used it so frequently that I can cast it without a wand. It helps people forget my face. To them, Perseus Shaw, Duke Rose, Rex Glass, and Christopher Morales are all separate people.”

“So, why don’t you do it on me?” Juno asked. Shaw was capable of wandless magic? At sixteen? Just what kind of wizard was he?

“I’ve tried,” Shaw offered with a laugh. “For some reason, it doesn’t work.”

Juno clenched his teeth. He had an idea forming in his head, but he couldn’t be sure of it. He hadn’t thought about all that time before he got to this school for a long time, and he didn’t intend to. That was best left forgotten, but as much as he tried to, nothing could erase his memory of it. Not even obliviate as it was cast for the umpteenth time to make him forget all the awful things Sarah Steel had tried to do to him.

“Enough talk,” Shaw said, leading Juno out of the room. “I’ve upheld my end of the deal. Now, you can decide if you want to take it…further?”

“I might,” Juno mused. He fiddled with the Remembrall in his pocket. Maybe…it might be good to just forget for a little. What harm could it do to let his guard down and relax for just a little? It was just one night, after all. “You know what? Fine.”

“Perfect,” Shaw said excitedly, pulling Juno out of the room. He made quick work of repairing the lock, and then pulled Juno down the hallway at a much higher speed than he should. Unless he knew where everyone would be, which he naturally would. He probably snuck out nightly, knew where Filch would be regardless of how unpredictable he liked to be.

Finally, Shaw stopped as they reached a hall lined with windows. Outside was a perfect view of the lake, a full moon’s reflection casting off of it with stars sparkling brightly. It was a calm night, barely any clouds, and Juno often forgot just how beautiful the countryside looked around them.

Juno didn’t have much time to look at the view, however, before Shaw pulled him into a kiss. It was…similar to when he kissed Duke, but different at the same time. Shaw was quicker, more impatient. While Duke wanted to savor, Shaw wanted to get to the main attraction. He pulled Juno close, circling his arms around the smaller man as they kept at it. Juno’s first instinct was to pull back and look out for a professor, or even just run away from the affection Perseus was trying to shove at him.

Instead, Juno let it happen. He let go, for once, and it was nice. All that mattered was Shaw’s lips on his. When Juno closed his eyes, he could almost imagine what the real man would look like before him. Relaxed, without a persona holding him back, and no secrets or lies or deception. Just…the two of them, bodies pressed close, breaking so many rules all in one moment that they shared in the moonlight.

“Now, come on,” Shaw said with a smirk. “Wait until you see what the Prefect’s bathroom is like.”

He gripped onto Juno’s arm before tugging him along the hallway. Juno didn’t even try to fight it at this point. Yeah, relaxing might be really nice, after all. He didn’t even notice the Remembrall turning red.


	2. Found Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 of Fluff Week! Found Family. Juno's first train ride to Hogwarts and a very small peek at what I did for his backstory for this AU.

Juno was already pretty small for an 11-year-old, but he still tried to make himself smaller. He just wanted the damn train to take off and no one to get into this section of the train with him, and he could be left alone. Why did anyone think this was a good idea? Yeah, just shove the recent-orphan onto a train and make him Hogwarts' problem. He got the acceptance letter, after all. And it was easier than an orphanage trying to figure out what to do with him and all his behavioral problems. They were more than happy to help him buy the bare minimum he needed for supplies, dump him on the platform, and never look back.

Juno didn’t tell them he’d gotten Ben’s letter, too. He didn’t tell anyone, instead shoving it into a pocket for safe-keeping. Ben would’ve liked all of this, Juno thought. All the commotion outside the train while parents cried and shouted their goodbyes. Ben was always one for fanfare. Their mom would’ve been out on that platform, both excited and pissed to see them go. But she would’ve let them go. Hogwarts was a big deal, afte rall.

Well...that didn’t matter now, did it? Juno dug himself further into the seat. There was no one out there for him and the longer they stayed at the station, the more Juno was aware of that fact. No Ben, no Ma, nothing. Just some robes, a wand, and a trunk full of books. What every 11-year-old wanted.

“Hey, Sash! This one’s pretty empty!” a voice shouted and Juno jumped. He looked up in time to see two older kids shove their way into the cab and Juno just leaned against the window. If he was small enough, he’d be invisible to them for sure. Sadly, that fact wasn’t really true. The boy that had shouted at first proudly stood in front of Juno with a hand out. “Hey there! My name’s Mick Mercury! You look new, you a first year?”

Juno hesitated. “Yeah.”

“Don’t crowd him,” a girl scolded as she stepped into the cab as well. “Sorry he barged in. Do you mind if we share this cab with you? A lot of places are full and some seventh years are making pains of themselves.”

“Oh, Sash, just wait until you’re a prefect! You’ll tell them what to do!” Mick shouted. Juno flinched.

“Well?” The girl, Sash, looked at Juno clearly. Her body language was clear. If Juno said no, they would leave. A choice. Juno hadn’t gotten one of those in a while.

“Uh...sure…” Juno said, against his better judgement. It might be good to get on the good side of some older kids, especially if one of them was gunning for Prefect. Mick happily plopped onto the seat across from Juno and Sash started piling their stuff in the overhead compartment.

“I’m Sasha Wire,” the girl said. “You?”

“Juno,” he muttered. He didn’t want to say his last name. News passed around quickly in the wizarding community. People would know the story of how Sarah Steel went crazy and...Well…

“So, you’re a first year?” Mick asked. Juno nodded. “Well, lucky for you, this is my second year and I know all the good places to go in the castle. And, if you’re lucky enough to be placed in Hufflepuff like me, I can show you how to sneak into the kitchen after curfew.”

“Mick,” Sasha scolded. “You got in trouble for that enough last year, don’t make a habit of it.”

“You’re no fun,” Mick said, sticking out his tongue at her. “Well, Juno, what house are you gunning for? I heard the hat sometimes listens to what you want.”

“I don’t really care,” Juno said.

“So, probably not a Slytherin, then,” Sasha sighed. She sat down next to Mick. Juno looked out the window again. It was mostly just parents now out there. If he pretended, he could imagine his mom was out there… The train whistle went off and they lurched forward. They were on their way.

“Hey, Jay,” Mick said, leaning forward and offering something in his hand. It was a box of beans. Berttie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, to be specific. “You want some?”

“You really eat that junk?” Juno asked. “How do you know you won’t get, like, vomit flavor or something?”

“That’s part of the fun!” Mick said proudly. “Come on, just pick a red one or something. Those are pretty safe.”

Juno raised a brow, but went ahead and dug his hand in anyway. He picked up a white one, knowing his odds of not messing that up were pretty high, and he popped it into his mouth. Popcorn. Nice. Juno smiled softly to himself. Ben loved to eat these things. Juno normally got all the rotten luck.

“Damn,” Mick said, looking down at the box. He picked up a green one, awful choice really, and ate it quickly. Immediately, his face turned green as well and he gagged slightly. “Nope, nope. Not a good one. Sash?”

“You never pick well, I’d figure you’d stop playing by now,” Sasha scoffed, but even she reached in and pulled out a pink one. She smiled brightly as soon as she ate it. “Bubblegum!”

Juno couldn’t stop himself before he reached forward for the box again. “Let me try again.”

He didn’t even look at the color he picked before he shoved it in his mouth. That was how you were supposed to play it, anyway. Make it come as a complete surprise. He immediately gagged, his mouth filling with the flavor of overcooked cabbage. It took him so aback that he started coughing, but he wasn’t a wimp, so he swallowed it.

“Oh, that didn’t look fun,” Mick snickered.

“Hey, can I come in?” a new voice asked and Juno immediately tensed. There was a girl standing in the doorway, huge glasses taking up most of her face. Her voice hit Juno right in his temples, and she didn’t quiet down. “No one’s letting me in and I really need a place to sit. I got bad knees.”

“You’re, what, 11?” Juno asked. “How you got bad knees this early?”

The girl scoffed. “I spend a lot of time sitting down, obviously I’m gonna have bad knees.”

“Come on in,” Mick said. “But only if...you try one of these.” He held out the box.

“Ooh! I love this game!” the girl said brightly. She stuck her hand in and pulled out at least five at once before fearlessly eating them all at once. Her eye twitched slightly, but she swallowed without complaint. “Earwax, dog food, strawberry, curry, and lemon!”

“Oh, she’s good!” Mick said, leaning forward. “What do you guys think?”

“I mean, we have room,” Sasha shrugged. Juno nodded, going along with them for now. If he needed to leave, it would be easy.

“The name’s Rita,” the girl said excitedly as she plopped down beside Juno. She sat down so hard Juno bounced a little. “I’m a first year, and you two gotta be at least second years, since you’re so big and all. Except this one.” She jammed a thumb in Juno’s direction.

“Hey,” Juno whined.

They just...hung out after that. Eating candy, playing games. Sasha and Mick even taught them a few of the easy spells they knew. Rita was absolutely certain she was going to be placed in Slytherin or Ravenclaw, on account of how smart she was, and Sasha and Mick made bets on where they thought Juno would land. It was...nice. The train went on for hours, and they were only interrupted by the lady with the candy cart. Juno had a few sickles to his name, so he’d bought some pastries. They all shared food among them, getting more and more hyper by the second.

“You know…” Rita mused, leaning close to Juno, eyeing him up and down carefully, as the sun was beginning to set. “You look familiar. It’s been bugging me for a while. What didja say your name was?”

“Juno.”

Rita hummed, staring at him, before letting out a shout and rummaging in her little bag. “I know! I know! It was all over the papers a few days ago!”

Juno groaned. Great, now he’d be the weird orphan kid again.

“Now, where was it?” Rita muttered to herself as she dug through the bag, finally pulling out a newspaper. Juno recognized the moving pictures, but they weren’t the ones he expected. He stood in one picture, a wide smile on his face with only one tooth missing, and he was holding a framed award. That was from about a week ago, right before the whole mess started, when he managed to win a competition at his muggle school. In another picture, his brother was tackling and tickling him, trying to steal the award away from him. Another picture showed Sarah Steel with him, looking like she did on her best days. She looked down at Juno with pure awe and love and, it felt wrong and twisted, but it still made Juno glow on the inside.

Rita spread out the newspaper for everyone to see. “Look! He beat out an entire muggle school district for a writing competition. He beat teenagers! All for writing a murder mystery story of his own. Which, might I add, had a lot of magic involved in it that might make the muggles a little suspicious.”

“It’s just a story,” Juno muttered, but he couldn’t stop the smile on his face. He was...proud of that moment. And the pictures were waving at him, like nothing was wrong in their lives. The happy family he wanted to remember. “Could I...Could I have that? Just this page, if you don’t mind?”

“What, you wanna gloat with all the people in your house?” Rita snickered, but handed it over anyway. Juno smiled down at it before folding it and tucking it with Ben’s acceptance letter.

“Okay, gimme another bean,” Juno demanded, leaning over to Mick.

“Are you sure?” Sasha asked suspiciously. “You really looked like you were about to vomit when you got troll bogeys.”

“I’m not a wuss,” Juno protested, impatiently holding out his hand. Mick held out the box.

“Let’s do one together, all four of us,” Mick said. “We’ll be getting there soon, so let’s just go for it.”

Juno smiled as the others also took a bean for themselves and then they all waited, not looking down at what they had in their hands. With a nod, they all took their beans at the same time. Immediately, Juno’s mouth filled with mint and he smiled, leaning back triumphantly. Rita and Mick both shuddered, and Sasha smiled.

“I think I actually got vomit,” Mick said, leaning over in his seat. He looked like he wanted to bolt and really vomit, but he refused to leave the room. That would’ve meant he was quitting. The train sounded its horn and Juno shot up, actually filled with excitement.

Maybe this school wouldn’t be so bad after all. He could get into a house with his new friends and this could just be a place he could go to get away from it all. He could be whoever he wanted here. He couldn’t help but touch his pocket. Ben would be there, too. The ultimate adventure.


	3. Cooking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We enter Juno's third year at Hogwarts and he and his friends are all getting along great.

“This is a terrible idea.”

“Don’t think that way, Jay.”

“Yeah, just think about all the trouble we’ll get in if a professor finds us.”

“I think this is a great idea! What are we gonna make! I’m definitely gonna bake some cookies! You know everyone in the dorm loves free cookies, right, boss? We could put a hex in them! That would be so funny!”

“Rita, we aren’t hexing any cookies,” Juno scolded and Rita immediately wilted. “And what the hell do you mean by ‘boss’ anyway?”

“I mean, you did hire her as your secretary for that new detective business of yours,” Sasha noted. She hoisted herself to sit on a counter, her feet kicking against the cabinets below. They were alone in the kitchens. Even the house elves had gone to sleep, but Mick had for some reason convinced them all to invade the place and have some fun cooking themselves.

“Because she wouldn’t leave me alone, otherwise,” Juno groaned. He’d been at this school for two years and discovered that he had a knack for solving mysteries. People came to him for favors, but Juno quickly figured out that he could charge them for his services. Candy, money, favors, anything was good for him. Now that he was a third year, he had some respect in his house and around Hogwarts, so even at the beginning of the year, business was good. Especially with the first years.

“Well, I’m gonna bake cookies,” Rita said proudly, already rummaging around in the cabinets. “You all can keep talking, but I’m gonna make the best damn cookies this castle has ever seen!”

Juno sighed, but went to her side, at the very least to make sure she didn’t burn anything down. He didn’t trust Rita or Mick alone in the kitchen. Sasha could probably do fine, but she had no sense of taste to make anything taste good. Meanwhile, Juno had a lot of experience cooking for himself, so he figured he would have to be everyone’s voice of reason tonight.

“What flavor are we going for?” Mick asked. “Pumpkin? Chocolate chip? No way we’re doing just plain sugar.”

“What’s wrong with sugar cookies?” Sasha asked, arms crossed over her chest.

“Nothing,” Mick said. “If you’re boring.”

“I am _not_ boring,” Sasha protested.

“Whatever, Ms. Prefect in Training,” Mick scoffed. Juno couldn’t help but laugh a little. Sasha had been brown nosing for years to get her place as a prefect, and she was honestly risking a lot by coming with them on this ridiculous adventure. She treated it like a huge deal, like it was the next big step to becoming an Auror, and then moving on to be the big shot in charge of the Ministry of Magic.

“They’ve got a lot of supplies,” Rita offered. She was currently standing on top of a counter, peering so deep into the cabinets that her entire top half almost vanished. “We could just throw some shit together and hope for the best.”

“We’re not getting poisoned tonight, Rita,” Juno called to her.

“You’re no fun,” Rita whined.

“Let’s stick with something simple,” Juno said. “One flavor, Rita, you hear me?”

“Sure, sure.”

“I don’t trust her,” Sasha muttered.

“That’s why we’re here,” Juno reminded her.

* * *

About an hour later, the four teenagers stood around a counter, staring at…whatever it was that they made. Juno had no idea how Mick and Rita managed to sneak it past both him and Sasha, but they decided it was a good idea to mix five flavors together, and Juno was terrified to try anything. Mick also decided it was best to use Incendio to bake the cookies because it would be faster. And it was. But it also charred the majority of the cookies.

“How…the hell…did you manage this?” Juno demanded.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Rita demanded, “we have to try it!”

“No way,” Sasha said.

“Oh, come on,” Mick said. “You’ve stayed with us this long!”

“I just feel bad for the house elves that will have to clean up after us,” Juno said. “How did you two manage to make this big of a mess? We were watching you this whole time!”

“It’s skill, boss,” Rita said proudly.

“Then you eat one,” Juno said.

“Fine,” Rita said. She didn’t even hesitate to pick it up and take a bite out of the cookie. It wasn’t so much a cookie and more of a brown and black lump. She immediately paled upon putting it in her mouth, but she kept chewing and finally swallowed with a shudder. “See?” Rita offered. “I ain’t no quitter!”

“Was it good?” Juno asked.

“Delicious!” Rita shouted.

“Who’s there?” A deep voice called into the kitchen. That was a professor. Immediately, all four of them tensed, looking at each other.

Rita reacted first, shoving the plate of cookies off of the table before shouting, “Scatter!”

Juno didn’t hesitate to run as fast as he could, deeper into the kitchen. Knowing Mick, he’d go for the first exit and get caught first, or he could make it to the Hufflepuff common room close by. Sasha ran with Juno further into the kitchens and who knew where Rita went.

“Lumos maxima!” Juno shouted, flicking his wand. He and Sasha knew the drill well enough to shut their eyes while the light shone in the previously dark room. They reached a wall and Juno ducked left while Sasha ducked right. The light wore off, and so they stuck to the shadows while the professor ran around, trying to find the students out of bed.

After that, it was easy to sneak out with a few well-thrown pots and pans, and Juno raced down the hallways to get back to the Slytherin common room. Sasha was already there, holding the portrait open for him and they ducked inside. Juno couldn’t help the crooked laugh that fell out of his mouth as soon as they were in the safety of their common room. Sasha laughed with him, punching him in the arm.

“I swear, you all are going to get me caught one day and then I’ll never get to be a Prefect,” Sasha snapped, but there was no real bite there.

“Please, you’ll be fine,” Juno scoffed. “I bet Rita already made it back to her room. Let’s not stay up.”

“How much do you want to bet Mick got caught?” Sasha asked.

“No contest,” Juno said. “He always gets caught.”

“Sleep well,” Sasha sighed, going over to the stairs.

Juno smiled as he fully got his breath back, looking up at the lake, shining moonlight onto the common room. A few mermaids waved at him, some pointed towards his dorm, and Juno just rolled his eyes, before starting off. He had a test tomorrow and he’d definitely need the sleep.


	4. Affection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Juno's fourth year, when Rita got him a special gift for his birthday. Shortest one by far.

Juno stared at it. It stared back. He blinked. It blinked.

“You really didn’t have to,” Juno said, looking between the damn bird and the person who was giving it to him.

“I wanted to, boss!” Rita quipped happily. “Ever since you started paying me as your secretary, I never knew what to do with the money. And when Mick told me about your birthday-”

“Mick…” Juno groaned.

“-I knew I had to do something for ya. So, happy birthday or Christmas or whatever, you’re legally required to accept this gift.”

Rita stood resolutely in front of him while Juno held the birdcage in his hands. He’d been around to welcome her back after Christmas break and she didn’t even say hello, just shoved this owl into Juno’s hands. She had always thought it was criminal that he didn’t have a pet. She and Sasha had cats, Mick had a toad, and Juno always said he was fine without one. And he was.

It was a little barn owl, feathers ruffled and a little shocked from the cold outside and the ruckus of teenagers all greeting each other after a few weeks off. Juno normally spent his time over winter in the castle, since the orphanage didn’t really want him around. He kind of got that vibe when he asked about it his first year here, four years ago. He also didn’t normally tell people about his birthday, but Mick somehow found out about it, and Juno should’ve known he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“An…owl?” Juno asked. “What made you think of me when you saw this owl?”

“Well,” Rita drawled and Juno started walking with her, further into the castle, “I saw it in this grubby, little shop, you know? And he just looked so small! And I couldn’t help but think about that day on the train our first year. And, gosh, I couldn’t just leave him alone! All small and tiny like that. But don’t worry! I left the naming entirely up to you. I could give you my list I’ve come up with, having spent a week with the little guy, but I know how you are about that kind of thing.”

“I…” Juno looked down at the poor thing, still looking terrified. “Thanks, Rita.”

“Don’t mention it,” Rita said. “Actually, please do mention it. And remember it. For my birthday. Because normally Franny’s the only one that buys me a gift and I know two presents is better than one.”

“Sure thing,” Juno said, rolling his eyes. “Go ahead and take the day off, I guess I better do something to get this guy comfortable.”

“I’ll be sure to save ya something at dinner if you’re late!” Rita chimed, already running off to talk with some more people.

Juno looked down at the owl again. It was definitely overwhelmed by all the chaos around, so Juno tucked his scarf closer around his neck and headed out the main doors. It was chilly, but it wasn’t snowing like it was yesterday, so that was a win. Juno immediately made his way over to the owlery, figuring that would be the best place to set up shop with the little guy.

* * *

About two hours later, Juno was on the floor of the owlery with Andromeda, his owl, happily flitting around. Despite the cold and the other owls, it was pretty calm and nice. The other owls seemed to like him well enough, and he seemed to relish in all the free space. Luckily, Rita had given Juno treats with the cage, so Andromeda would just fly around before returning to Juno, who would give him a treat.

It was like that for a long time, Andromeda just flying in and out of the tower and Juno giving him treats. Sometimes Andromeda would nuzzle him, but Juno was usually pretty wary of that. Owls could be terrifying if they wanted to. The one in the corner kept trying to bite his head when he least expected it and there was one that kept trying to hit Juno when it took a shit. Andromeda got along with all of them well enough.

“You’re a pretty bird,” Juno noted as Andromeda landed on his leg. He flinched at his sharp talons, but didn’t try to shoo him away. Andromeda looked up at him with those gigantic eyes and tilted his head slightly. Juno slowly held out his hand, which Andromeda looked at curiously for a bit before relaxing a bit more. Juno moved slowly, but soon his hand did make contact with Andromeda’s smooth feathers. Andromeda closed his eyes for a moment, letting the petting happen.

Eventually, he hopped forward a bit and Juno groaned as the talons bit into even more skin, but he kept petting, stroking the bird. It was nice…just to have some time alone with his new pet. Maybe he didn’t mind having something to take care of. Come to think of it, his own personal owl would be pretty good for business, especially a small barn owl like this one. He wouldn’t even need to keep him in the owlery, technically. He was small enough that Juno could just hide him in his dorm (Slytherin’s weren’t known for being snitches anyway) and help him learn secret ways around the castle. That wouldn’t be too bad, now would it?

“What a pretty, smart bird,” Juno cooed at him. Andromeda playfully nipped at his finger, apparently tired of pets, so Juno gave him a treat and Andromeda flew off again into the night sky. Okay, so maybe he could get used to having a bird.


End file.
